What utter nonsense! The entire report is based on someone's extremely biased view of Saurav. Like Saurav, I too am an ex-Xaverian and one year senior to him. Although we don't know each other socially, I have observed him since the time he used to play football more than cricket! Whatever else one can accuse Saurav of, one can't accuse him of being a fool! His sense of propriety and the Xaverian spirit inculcated in him during his school days would prevent him from doing something so blatantly foolish as refusing to open the batting for India and that too in the middle of the field and in full view of whoever cared to stare. Whoever posted that report has allowed his imagination and his sanity to run amok! I am not a blind Saurav supporter; infact I am not very interested in cricket. But I hate to see a fellow Xaverian being troubled by people with vested interests. All that the video footage showed was that of Saurav talking earnestly to Dravid in the presence of Chappel who appeared to be asleep on his feet! Had it been about not opening the batting, Greg Chappel would have had Saurav kicked out of the field! Such naughty reports should not be published in the public interest.
Please do not speculate on an issue on which no one knows for sure what exactly had happened in the ground and do not blame it on one person only. If you have confirmed reports why do not you say so ? Some newspapers are are giving a different stories. Please stop this kind of journalism and for GOds sake let the team play peacefully.
Coach Greg Chappel and the board management are just thinking of removing ganguly out of the team so in that process are not even caring where the team is heading towards. As they knew that ganguly cannot open the innings and cannot face th pace bowling so if he gets out early they will have a reason to take him out of the team. But did they think what if they loos the match and the series in that process? its not a team in process for world cup but a revenge being taken on oneanother. i am not against chappel nor rahul and not in favor of ganguly but being an INDIAN i would request every one in the board not to bring tema INDIA down.
RE:Ganguly being made the scape goat
by Praveen on Jan 18, 2006 02:11 PM
If you are telling that Ganguly cannot play pace bowling, then why should he be included in the team, when there are many good players waiting for a slot???
No one will say Ganguly to go out if he plays well for India....I say this, remembering the great many innings he had played for India..
How can you say things with such conviction. Your story "might" be true but its not ethical to state the "might" as a fact. You have lost credibility and rediff is losing credibility by letting you write.
do we hv to find something or the other controversial in all the ganguly matters? According to Times of India, he was demanding he should open the innings & dravid was not convinced, Now u say ganguly was refusing to open.... Just leave them alone and let them concentrate on cricket for a while!!!
How do you say Ganguli was asked to open and refused to do so?
If this is true then the possibilities are:
1) Ganguly is coward and afraid of the Pak fast bowlers. Here was a chance to show his greatness and silence all his critics by doing well in this role that was thrust on him.
2) Chappel and Dravid hatched a cunning plot to make a sacrificial lamb out of Ganguly, so that his expected failure could be used to permanently ease him out of the team. They knew the job of opening on the first day of the first test against Pakistan in Pakistan against their famed pace attack was tough.
Whatever the truth, the events of day one proved that the pitch posed no danger. If the Pak batsmen could do so well, Ganguly could have too. He has missed a great opportunity to redeem himself and retire in a blaze of glory. He had nothing to lose. He is already on his way out however well he does on this tour.
This ugly incident shows us in poorer light. Dravid should take his decisions and simply give orders. There was no need to take Ganguly out to the pitch and discuss the matter. Dravid is the boss. He should act like one.
